Wildfires are common in western states, for example California, wherein approximately two million homes face extreme wildfire hazards, particularly in the southern part of the state, due to a proximity to fuels such as trees grass and brush.
Current fire fighting tactics require intensive coordination as ground and air resources are deployed to fight fires threatening homes. Ground resources typically include teams or groups of people with little fire fighting training, who are deployed to dig fire lines in advance of approaching flames. Frequently, wildfires are of such intensity and occur in such strong winds that burning debris blows over the fire line and subsequent fire lines must be created. This process can occur many times over as ground crews attempt to stay ahead of the fire.
Fire suppression covers or blankets are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,720,269 to Diacos discloses a fire blanket made of fire-resistant material. The Diacos reference is designed for small in-home fires and includes a weighted hem. Diacos is not suited for outdoor fire suppression due to its size, and if expanded to adequately cover a large area, would be prohibitively heavy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,941 to Lokken discloses a blanket for smothering fires or protecting items from a fire comprising a wettable polymer capable of high volume water retention, a water reservoir and heat activatable valves to permit water to flow from the reservoir into the blanket. While Lokken may be adapted for fighting outdoor wildfires, it is disfavored due to its complex and expensive construction, requirement for water, and the difficulty of cleaning and re-using the blanket.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,371 to Musser, Jr. discloses a fire protection system for preventing an area from catching fire, comprising a large tarp for draping over the area. Cables slidably attached along the side edges of the tarp via eyelets help guide the tarp around structures. Musser, Jr. is disfavored because it must be supported by a support structure, such as a crane or helicopter in order to function. It also is deployed directly against a structure, increasing the likelihood that a fire will ignite the structure.
Grasslands, chaparral, and other generally arid treeless areas are prone to hotter and more intense wildfires due to the highly combustible nature of their flora, which serves as a fuel source once ignited. Wild fires burning in such areas are also prone to flare-ups when denser fuel areas ignite simultaneously, resulting in tire storms. By regulating the burn characteristics of such fires, for example, by breaking a wildfire fire line down into a series of uniform individual fires helps control the spread of a fire and prevent flare-ups.
There is therefore a need for a blanket-type fire suppression device which is lightweight, inexpensive and easy to construct, which avoids the need for water or support materials in order to function. There is also a need for an apparatus, deployable as a ground fire suppression resource, capable of reducing a fire to a more manageable size and intensity, allowing it to be more easily extinguished by trained fire fighters. A need also exists for a blanket-type fire suppression apparatus that separates a fire burning under the apparatus into uniformly spaced burn zones, thereby further dissipating heat and energy from the fire.